Take Me Away
by carzla
Summary: [Oneshot - Post-S10E18 Future Fic] They had done it. The Mark of Cain was gone, and he was on a beach. He was finally taking that vacation he'd talked to Sam about. Now, if only he could find the words to say to Cas, then all would be well.


_**Take Me Away**_

_Disclaimer:_

_Supernatural belongs to The CW Network. This story contain slash; feel free to hit the back button if it's not to your tastes. I only own this little idea, or rather co-own, since it was a prompt by a friend. Thank you!_

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**Full Summary:**

**[Oneshot – Post-S10E18 Future Fic] They had actually done it. The Mark of Cain was gone, and he was on a beach. There was actual sand between his toes. He was finally taking that vacation he'd talked to Sam about. Now, if only he could just do one more thing. If only he could find the words to say to Cas, then all would be well.**

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Sand between his toes. There was _actual sand_ between his toes. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he'd told Sam that once the Mark of Cain was gone, he would take a good, long break by the beach. He had thought he believed it then, but now that he was actually standing barefoot on a beach, he realized that there was a part of him that hadn't bought into it entirely.

He still couldn't quite believe it. Because nothing good ever happened to his family. Not without something coming back to bite them in the ass sooner or later. But for now, it was real. _This _was real.

Dean Winchester was free of the Mark and he was actually taking a break. On a beach. With sand between his toes, with Sam lounging under the shade of the palm trees, with Charlie attempting to get a tan…

With Cas standing beside him, dressed down for once in one of Dean's old T-shirts and a pair of beach shorts that Charlie had produced out of nowhere with a sly grin on her face.

No, Dean was _not _having a hard time trying not to stare at Castiel's ass in those shorts. He was _not, shut up Charlie._

The beach was quiet. He could hear the sea, the gentle lapping of the waves against the sandy shore. He could hear the wind rustling through the palm leaves. He hadn't been anywhere close to this peaceful in _years._ If ever.

He was also pretty sure beaches didn't tend to be like that. At least not the ones he'd vaguely had in mind when he mentioned his plans to Sam back then. But Castiel had been the one to choose the beach, and they'd taken Angel Express over before Dean could so much as give a token protest.

Where they'd ended up was on a beautiful gem of an island, which was apparently off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope. Dean was surprised to say the least. But neither Sam nor Charlie were, and though neither of them gave Dean an answer, he knew that they'd planned this with Cas. He wasn't quite sure how Cas managed it, even for an angel who'd gotten his wings back, but there was a well-stocked, decently-sized villa on the island despite the lack of any human inhabitants. Or supernatural ones for the matter.

All of this just because he mentioned to Sam that he wanted a proper break.

Even so, he knew that a trip to California would be all and well and good for spending time at the beach. Dean doubted even Charlie would've thought this up. So that meant that it was _Cas_ who'd decided to get them their own private beach holiday free-of-charge, and without breaking any laws. Probably. As far as he could tell, this island wasn't owned by anyone, and the only way Charlie was getting high-speed Wi-Fi out here had to be with the help of angel mojo.

So it was fitting that the person standing beside him, staring out at the calm blue horizon was Castiel. There was a comfortable silence enveloping them as they enjoyed this bubble of peace they'd painstakingly carved out for themselves.

"Thanks, Cas."

Castiel turned his gaze away from the sea, head tilted in query. "What for, Dean?"

He gestured broadly at their surroundings. "For all of this. Sun, sand and sea. I know I told Sammy I wanted to go to the beach because God knows we've never been, but I really did not expect this."

"Do you… not like it?"

"No! No, I love it Cas. Don't get me wrong. This is, this is awesome. Not what I expected, but it's really, really good. I mean, I thought I'd wanted the whole experience, with the crowds and the music, bikini girls…"

Maybe it was a trick of the bright sunlight, but he thought he saw Cas's smile falter a bit, a little spark dimming in his brilliant blue eyes. Shit, he wasn't getting the point across. He had to fix this before Cas got the wrong idea.

"My point is, that sometimes what you think you want, isn't want you _really _want, and you just didn't know it at the time. Maybe I'm getting old, but this quiet, spending time with Sam, Charlie and you… having this whole place to ourselves… It's really what I wanted, what I _want._ So… So yeah, thanks Cas."

Somewhere along the way, he realized that he was no longer just speaking about their current beach vacation. Somewhere along the way, he found himself trying to tell Cas something that he'd begun to realize since Purgatory, had begun to acknowledge since Purgatory. Something that he could not put into words, not the right words in any case. Something he tried not to think about since Cain mentioned Colette and how he and Dean were so very similar. Cain did not know how right he was. But maybe he did. They were uncannily alike after all.

"I'm glad you're here, Cas," he added, while still mentally chiding himself. Because even after all this time, even after all he'd been through with Cas, words still failed him when he needed them most.

"You're welcome, Dean. I'm glad you like this," Cas replied, his smile wider than it was before, the spark in his eyes rekindling. "And I'm glad to be here with you too."

He would like to think that Cas caught all that he hadn't said, but while Cas could be surprisingly perceptive when it came to him, there were still some things that flew way over his angelic head. So Dean wasn't sure if Cas knew that he wasn't just talking about this gift, but he decided that this could be shelved aside for a moment. They'd just arrived a few hours ago, and perhaps it was cowardly, but he didn't want to ruin it all by clarifying and risk getting a response that he didn't want.

"C'mon Cas, we're on a beach! Let's go swimming! You do know how to swim, don't you?"

"I haven't had the time to try, but I do know how to, theoretically. In any case, I can't drown, so you don't have to worry about me."

Well, that was as good as it was going to get then. He stripped out of his tank top and kicked off his flip flops, and turned to tell Cas to join him. It ended up with him gaping like a lust-addled idiot because he didn't know if Cas just had exceptionally good timing or what, but Cas was pulling his shirt up and Dean could not tear his eyes away from the slowly exposed skin.

To be honest, it wasn't the first time he'd seen Cas's naked chest. There _was _that time during the Apocalypse-That-Was-Not when he and Sam helped carve the angel banishing symbol onto Cas's chest. But that certainly hadn't been a time for him to look, because they were walking into a dangerous situation, and contrary to popular belief, Dean Winchester _did _know how to prioritize. So no ogling the half-naked angel.

Now however, it was a totally different ball game. There was no life-or-death situation (unless it was _le petite mort_ but no, Dean was _not going there, nope_), they weren't running out of time to save the world and nobody was dying right in front of them. It was just the sun, the sand and the sea, Sam and Charlie both present but hopefully too far away to notice Dean's undignified staring and Cas was stripping because Dean had invited him to swim.

He swallowed, then hurriedly flicked his gaze upwards to Cas's face when Cas got the shirt entirely off him and would be able to catch him staring. Cas chucked the shirt aside in a very human gesture and then looked him dead in the eye with a very uncharacteristic smirk on his face. Then the bastard winked at him, as if to say _"Like what you see?"_, before making a dash for the coastline.

Dean blinked a few times before he started grinning like a mad fool himself. _Cas heard him._ Cas heard everything he couldn't find the right words for, or rather, words he knew, words he wanted to say but couldn't. Not yet. Maybe one day. Maybe someday soon.

He took off after Cas, and despite his delayed start, managed to catch up to the angel and tackle him into the water. They grappled playfully underwater for a few moments until Dean's need for air had him surfacing. Cas didn't technically need to breathe, but he surfaced as well in a completely elegant way with water sluicing down his face and torso.

Dean had the most ludicrous thought that Cas was a mythical sea god rising from the waves. He _really _needed to get a grip on himself.

Besides, knowing their luck, there might _really _be some sea god out in these waters who might take offense. Even though Cas had assured them that this island and the surrounding sea were free of supernatural creatures, he didn't want to take any chances.

Cas was smiling at him, his eyes soft and fond. Dean was sure he had an answering smile, and that his eyes were probably giving away everything he couldn't say. But it was Cas, and they were meant for Cas… and Cas was good at deciphering Dean-speak now. So it was okay. More than okay.

After a few moments of looking at each other in the shallow waters, he dived again, swimming out further away from the shore, knowing that Cas would follow him. When he next broke the surface, he flipped himself onto his back, letting himself float lazily in the calm waters of the cove, eyes closed to protect them from the bright sunlight but enjoying the feel of the sun on his face. Fingers brushed gently against his left arm and he tilted his head to the side, knowing he would see Cas. He was right, and Cas was next to him, floating on his back like Dean was. He had no proof, but he was certain that unlike him, Cas had been looking at him all along.

He was learning that not much could tear Castiel's focus away from him. It was humbling, and it scared him. Because he still wasn't sure he was worth it. But if he'd learnt anything over these long years of hunting, it was to _carpe_ that _diem_ before it was too late. And well, Dean was only human, and self-denial could only take him so far for so long.

"This is… relaxing," Cas commented.

"You've never had time to float around in the clouds doing nothing?"

"No. There was no reason to. It's much better like this," Cas paused, his expression suddenly more solemn. "With you," he added.

"Cas…"

Cas manoeuvred himself so he was upright and treading water, looming slightly over Dean. "Dean, do you trust me?"

A part of him wanted to scoff and ask Cas if he was seriously asking this question. But Cas looked very serious, and he knew that he had to answer properly, clearly.

"Yes."

Cas's lips quirked upwards slightly, and then he was leaning down, and oh. Oh. Then their lips were touching in a gentle whisper of a kiss, as if Cas was unsure if it would be welcome, which would not do. Because Cas was welcome, more than welcome to kiss him. Dean moved his lips back against Cas, softly, carefully, still testing out the waters because this was still new to them. Then Cas pressed closer, his arms coming round to hold Dean closer, and Dean felt a shudder pass through him as his hands came up to grasp Cas's shoulders.

He was so lost in the kiss, in the sudden tingling sensations that were passing through him, that although he was vaguely aware of his position in the water changing, he thought nothing of it until both he and Cas slipped under the water's surface, their kiss never once breaking. Miraculously, he wasn't suffocating underwater, and when he opened his eyes (when had they closed?) the seawater did not sting his eyes. Cas was looking at him, his eyes open and they were glowing blue-white. Faintly, but they were most certainly glowing.

Cas was doing this. Somehow he had made it possible for Dean, a normal human, to breathe and see underwater without any discomfort. It was awesome… and completely romantic.

Cas's eyes crinkled in a smile, as if he knew exactly what Dean was thinking, and well, Cas probably did. Then he pressed even closer, and Dean's lips parted even as he eyes slipped shut and for long moments after, he was lost in the feeling of Cas exploring his mouth and then doing the same in return. It was better than anything he could've imagined, because even in his dreams, he couldn't have come up with the crackle of electricity that seemed to surround Cas, and how that electricity felt like it was engulfing him and yet it made him feel safe. He had the feeling that it was Cas, some part of Castiel's true form that was reaching out to hold him as well.

Then slowly, Cas pulled away, not too far away, because they were still tangled up in each other. Dean was sure that the soft, sappy look on Cas's face was mirrored on his own. Because they were finally on the same page, and for them, actions tended to speak louder than words anyway. Dean might not be able to say those words (yet) but he hoped he'd showed Cas how he felt through his actions.

_Look down, Dean._

It spoke volumes that hearing Castiel's voice in his head didn't freak him out. Instead, he did as Cas said, and looked and _wow_.

Below them lay a coral reef. An aquatic forest teeming with colorful shoals of fish darting in and out of the reefs, crabs scuttling across the seabed and just so much more aquatic wildlife he'd never seen before. It was a stunning, beautiful sight, and he knew that Cas had brought him specially here to see it. Cas really was such a romantic, though Dean had no idea where Cas had picked it up from because the Winchesters certainly weren't role models for romance. If anything, they were poster boys for how _not _to get into a romantic relationship.

But Dean wasn't complaining about this turn of events.

_Wow, Cas. This is… This… I… Thank you._

_You're very welcome, Dean._

By the time they returned back to shore, Sam and Charlie had moved from their original positions. Or rather, Charlie had moved into the shade, and they were drinking coconut juice fresh out from actual coconuts. Both of them were also wearing near identical smug smirks as they watched him and Cas make their way out of the water, hand-in-hand.

"_Finally,_" was the first thing Sam said once they were within earshot.

"Took you guys long enough!" Charlie piped up. "Or so I hear anyway, since I wasn't here all of the time, unlike Sam."

He took it all good-naturedly. Honestly, with how he was feeling right now, Dean didn't think anything could dampen his mood for a good, long while. He tightened his grip on Cas's hand, and though he was speaking to Sam and Charlie, he kept his eyes on Castiel.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm not letting Cas go now. Not ever."

That was a promise.

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**So the underwater kiss was very much inspired by the beautiful lake scene in _Final Fantasy X._ Much thanks to my friend who gave me the prompt! I already sort of had the feeling that I wanted to write something about a beach vacation since watching the episode, but this just gave me the final push into actually writing it out.**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**

_**carzla**_


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